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Oralt
The Kingdom of Oralt (informally and more frequently Oralt) is a nation on the widely disputed and unnamed isle to the north of Latora and the east of the Hales. Most of the kingdom’s history from its foundation in 211 BD onward concerns the undying rivalry between the kingdom and the Sárrveðr Kingdom, to the west relative of Oralt’s territory. History Foundation and Expansion Originally founded by Altan Atcho in 211 BD as the Atcho clan, the early Oralt kingdom was mostly just a congregation of conquered and assimilated groups under one banner on the eastern coast of the island. Different families were made under the clan corresponding to different jobs needed, and it was eventually considered a kingdom by most of its citizens. An army was made, and the kingdom eventually expanded westward into the uncharted woodlands mostly inhabited by fauna, unassimilated tribes, and independent families and their farmlands. Most of the tribes and families were forcefully assimilated into the Atcho kingdom, and the farmland gained. Even though what was first wanted was acquired, Altan allowed for further expansion until resistance by the neighboring Sárrveðr kingdom was met at the Divikh, a valley and river stretching from the north to the south of the entire island. The Arrival of the Sanz A war was waged between the two kingdoms, and this war lasted for two decades before ending in a stalemate that kept the Atcho out of the western side of the island and caused tensions to slowly rise between the two. At 143 BD, Altan’s son, Khumalt Atcho, inherited the throne and immediately began working to better the army, laws, taxes, and political climate. Sometime in 134 BD, the entire Sanz bloodline came to the kingdom of Oralt for shelter in return for their family being assimilated. This was agreed upon, but Khumalt’s attraction toward a Fiammetta Sanz made the assimilation more into a combination of the two cultures. Upon marriage, the Sanz and Atcho families were combined into the Senzatto family, and the kingdom being renamed to the Kingdom of Oralt. The harsh combination of Sanz and Atcho customs made two hostile splinter groups, the True Atcho and the Sanz. Second War Against the Sárrveðr Nothing much would come of the groups, but they were still able to survive the events that soon came to the Oralt kingdom. The beginning of which being the declaration of war on the Sárrveðr kingdom, which almost once again ended in a stalemate until Alvis, a man from the Sárrveðr, came to Khumalt in promises of invaluable information if he could inherit the throne. Seeing as Alvis was a Sárrveðr man inside and out, Khumalt knew he could hold history-changing information, so the deal was agreed upon. The information provided was adequate enough for Oralt forces to push past the Divikh for the first time, conquering nearly the entire island until what looked to be many successions of lucky tactics won battles for Sárrveðr. This streak of luck and unusual foresight by the Sárrveðr was called into question, and all those who were suspicious in Oralt authority rightfully pointed their fingers at Alvis. Alvis was coaxed into a meeting where his legs were broken and he confessed his crimes and plans of assassinating Khumalt, now called the Golden King. Alvis was executed when he persisted on his loyalty to the Sárrveðr by having his body thrown into the Divikh river from a height. Before his death, however, he gave final information that would supposedly “help” the war against the Sárrveðr in the final days. This information that was promised to “help” the Oralt was used, but instead led to a thousand Oralt men being trapped in the Sárrveðr capital city. The Golden King, Golden Queen, and some of their finest politicians were called to a meeting where they were captured by surprised and publically executed. The majority of the politicians were killed by hanging, but Khumalt died in silence and acceptance by having his back ritualistically mutilated while being decapitated. Meanwhile, his wife was burnt to death on a pyre, all the while reportedly shouting and insulting the Sárrveðr before going out with her final words, “In the ashes of this world I die in sin, but I will be born once again.” Hearing about the capture and execution, Khumalt’s eldest son inherited the throne and gathered all of the men he could to siege the Sárrveðr capital. Red shawls, serving the purpose of both symbolizing the Golden King’s decapitation and signifying Oralt citizens from Sárrveðr citizens, were commissioned to each person sent in the siege. These shawls would later become a staple of Oralt clothing, as well as heavy story and tradition holders. The Oralt king allowed his men to do whatever they pleased to the city and its citizens, causing atrocities from rapes, makeshift tortures, and careless burnings to take place. The siege and war against the Sárrveðr ended when the remains of the Golden Royals were acquired, and all the known Sárrveðr royals were killed. There was one prince that escaped the capital, however, and he grew his own force of Sárrveðr-loyal men. Rebirth of Sárrveðr The entire island was under Oralt control until the prince, with a decent army, retook the former Sárrveðr capital for his small but rebuilding kingdom in 121 BD. Due to the secret and underhanded takeover of the capital, no Oralt resistance was met. Successions of incompetent and ignorant kings let the Sárrveðr regrow to half the island until Muto Senzatto I made a law in 88 BD declaring that any and all loyal to the Sárrveðr kingdom should be reported, captured, and killed. In retaliation, the Sárrveðr began to place many encampments along the western side of the Divikh river, fully fortifying it in 57 BD, where the Sárrveðr king made a law decreeing that any who were loyal to the Oralt to pass the Divikh river would be killed. This started the century-long deprivation of contact with the outside world that the Oralt faced. It was only until 43 NA where king Savio Senzatto secretly sent a trio of his daughters to foreign lands in search of help against the Sárrveðr. Geography Relatively close to the Hales and Lauchette as compared to other island nations, Oralt lies directly to the north of Latora and to the east of Aedwin, and roughly southeast of the Ostari Isles. It consists of the entirety of the eastern side and small islands near the eastern side of the unnamed island shared by Oralt and Sárrveðr. The area of Oralt spans roughly 21,495 km2 (8,299 mi2), very close to the 19,790 km2 of the Sárrveðr kingdom. The geography of Oralt is somewhat varied, with the Divikh valley and river adorning its western border, most of the north being a hilly forested area, and the northwest having forested highlands. The majority of Oralt is a temperate deciduous forest, colder than Aedwin yet warmer than Hallengard. The location of Oralt allows for varied seasons, and the varied fauna and flora that come with the seasons. Politics Oralt is an absolute-power hereditary monarchy controlled by a single king, who allows nine other individuals to control finance, foreign relations, and military power. Each of the trios of men work together to ensure the subjects they are assigned go smoothly, thus keeping the entire kingdom from chaos due to lack of attention to an important subject. Although relying heavily on human nature, the loyalty of these nine men to the king relies solely on pay, cooperation, and kinsmanship. Each of the nine men are assigned a varied number of people to help control the subject, each of those persons controlling even more people, and so on. Economy Agriculture and local game made up most of Oralt's former exports, but a large number of their exports were rare minerals found abundantly on the island. However, due to the restriction of trade by the Sárrveðr, the economy has been limited to simple trade within the kingdom's own borders. Culture Arts Architecture Most architecture in Oralt outside of major cities are simple stone-wood creations for purpose of storage and living area. However, the cities are a stark constrast, utilizing stone, brick, and concrete with occasional marble finishes. Cities, notably the capital, are built in a grid-like system of rough streets around a central forum or marketplace that acts as the social and financial hub. The location of highest altitude in the city is adorned with a manor belonging to whoever the city is assigned to, most of the time acting as a house where generations of inheritors to the city would be born and raised. Gold, being important in Oraltish culture, is scarcely and very specially used in building. Clothing Silk is commonly used in Oraltish clothing and is most notably used for the vibrant, red shawls that adorn the chest and shoulders of most patriarchs. Dyed clothing is limited to nobles or friends of noble families, leaving most of the poorer citizens with dully-coloured homemade clothes. Literature Oraltish literature is a sign of the heavy disparity that still plagues the Sanz and Atcho, both cultures each having a seperate language that creates a lack of unification in Oralt literature. Most nonfictional works are written in the language of the Sanz to keep track of history, stock, jobs, and reminders. Atchonian writings usually concern debated historical events concerning great heros or heroines overcoming massive obstacles. Music The main aspect of the music in Oralt is the overabundance of vocals, primarily Overtone singing which is mostly practiced by those with a naturally low voice. Not many instruments are known to be in Oralt, but there is one with quite the prominence, being the Horsehead Fiddle. Percussion was also readily available, but not much used in music. On the arrival of the Sanz family and their culture, more musical instruments were brought to attention including the Cornu, used mainly for war scenarios, as well as more string instruments, such as the lute or lyre. Visual Art The visual art of the Oralt is displayed most exclusively in the capital, represented by skillful fresco and careful sculptures that decorate the richest locations of the city. Poorer visual art is limited to religious paintings made by bored workers and peasants in their freetime. Customs and Superstitions There are many strange customs in the Oralt culture, each stemming from different historical scenarios. One such being to swear on either your mother or father’s name, depending on if the person swearing is female or male respectively. Upon first meeting any royal, they must be addressed while lying on the floor to show full submission and innocence. Another custom including royalty is that of waiting in front of the throne if they are needed but absent, mimicking the Atchonian legend of Ertei. The neck is a major part of the body in Oralt, as it supposedly is the main connection between the mind and body. Thus, the neck is to only be physically interacted with by only the most trusted people, or else it would be considered the tainting of a sacred area. However, an increasingly popular way of complimenting someone is by quickly groping their neck. Education Education is valued to a great degree in Oralt, but is mostly practiced only by nobles, especially in terms of writing and reading. However, both Sanz and Atcho languages are taught to children by their parents, as well as English in most families, but some parents abstain from teaching this third language. There are some institutions built in major cities for the sole purpose of education, and they are widely used by the public who can access them. Festivities The Golden Day The most prominent and celebrated of all Oraltish holidays is the one commemorating the death of the Golden King, Khumalt, and the Golden Queen, Fiammetta. Most celebrate the day by wearing a red shawl to represent the king’s decapitation, and the Sárrveðr’s defeat in their own capital. Few people take the annual challenge of keeping a fire out at all times the entire day, whether it be a candle or a torch. Even fewer, mostly adrenaline-junkie swordsmen and powerful noble families, celebrate the tradition of capturing a Sárrveðr man on the Divikh and brutally torturing them to get some kind of revenge for the Golden Royalty. Food A big staple of Oraltish cuisine is wheat dough noodles, and the various amounts and kinds of meat that usually accompany such a meal. Lagana is also quite popular, also often paired with locally available meat and crops. Less formal dishes often just consist of freshly hunted game and vegetables from the many farmlands in Oralt. Language The Sanz and Atchonian languages are practiced in most households, English being slightly less popular but still taught. The languages haven’t been combined at all, and remain separate entities. Whichever language is used usually shows if the person aligns more with the Atcho or Sanz side of their family. Religion The Oraltish religion is a combination of the former Sanz family’s mixed practice of Hedatism and Andophy with the old tales and religions of the Atcho kingdom made by forcing assimilation. Due to the dozens of religions already incorporated into the Atcho kingdom, the mixing of both Andophist and Hedatist beliefs only made the religion of Oralt more confusing. In an attempt to keep everything straight, the religion was set under the name Andophy while sharing little to no characteristics with the actual Andophy practiced in other locations. The main thing connecting traditional Andophy and Oralt’s Andophy is the Judge entity and his many names. Otherwise, Oralt’s Andophy is more a collection of religious tales of creation, loyalty, morals, and heroism more akin to Hedatism or the nomadic beliefs of old. Traditional Values The Oralt have many highly valued traits, the two most notable in the arts and oral traditions being heroism and loyalty. Stories about many a person doing actions for the greater good, or for those they swore loyalty to are generally passed down through generations in either writing, song, or retellings. Patience, although not being a main topic, is generally thought of as an invaluable trait to posses. Views on the Sárrveðr In an effort to stir the people after the Golden King’s death, his son dehumanized the Sárrveðr to the extent of calling them Nevhun, a type of snow creature from folklore in their religion. Thus, the Nevhun from folklore and the Sárrveðr people were considered to be the same thing in the eyes of Oraltish citizens, leading to the constant abuse of the Sárrveðr people, most notably on the annual tradition of the Golden Day. Trivia *Both Muto (now retconned as Muto Senzatto III) and Christopher Senzatto, characters from before the wipe, were retconned to be Oralt kings sent to the Hales as punishment for their excessive amounts of incompetence. *The Senzatto surname is actually an amalgamation of insults long forgotten due to how long it has been since the beginning of the pre-beta RP. *The current leader of the loyalist Sanz group, Beppe Sanz, is based on Benito Mussolini in both mannerisms and appearance. *The Kingdom of Oralt was heavily based off of Italy and Mongolia, as well as the Roman and Mongolian empires. Category:Nations